[Nfbf-l] White Cane Safety PSA

[Beth]

Congratulations.
Beth

On 11/25/08, dbearden2 at tampabay.rr.com <dbearden2 at tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> DEAR sABRINA THE ADOPTION WAS SINGED AT 11:00 AM ON THE 24TH MALCOLM JORDON
> DUMAINE-BEARDEN IS MINE THANKS N.F.B. FOR ALL THE LOVE AND HELP DAVID
> BEARDEN
> ---- sabrina deaton <sabdeaton at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Hey Everyone,
>> I thought you might be interested in this.
>> Sabrina Deaton
>>
>>
>> Channel 42 to air ad featuring blind people struck by vehicles
>> Click-2-Listen
>> By CHRISTINA DeNARDO
>> Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
>> Sunday, November 23, 2008
>> BOYNTON BEACH — David Evans felt his walking stick being pulled out of his
>> hand. When he put out his hands, he felt the front bumper of a car.
>> "When I yelled and hit my fist on the trunk of her car, she finally
>> stopped," said Evans, who is blind. It wasn't the first time he was hit by
>> a car, and he's not alone. Though no one keeps statistics, advocates for
>> the disabled say the blind are frequently the victims of automobile
>> accidents.
>> It's a plight that Vision World Foundation wants to bring to the attention
>> of drivers through a public service announcement featuring real accident
>> victims, including Evans.
>> The 30-second spot, which is being produced by WXEL-TV Channel 42, was
>> shot last week and will begin airing over the next few weeks.
>> "There is an attitude here that people believe that if you have a green
>> light it means go - even if there is someone in the crosswalk," said Barry
>> Snyder, a personal injury lawyer who has represented disabled clients hit
>> by drivers. "And if you are in the middle of the road, you're fair game."
>> Ren'ee Rentmeester, who created a television cooking show for blind people
>> produced by Vision World Foundation, said she didn't have to go far to
>> find blind people who have been hit by cars. Some, like Evans, have been
>> hit several times.
>> Until a few years ago, the Florida Outreach Center for the Blind held
>> white cane safety days at local intersections to publicize how the blind
>> rely on drivers when crossing intersections. One year, about 40 blind
>> people were taking part in the event when a truck blew through a red
>> light. They stopped the event for safety reasons.
>> "They don't stop and make sure anyone is coming," said Allen Preston, who
>> was also featured in the announcement.
>> Preston uses a guide dog, which he credits for minimizing his brushes with
>> aggressive drivers.
>> "If I'm at a busy intersection, people who wouldn't normally stop for a
>> pedestrian see the dog, and they slow down."
>> Besides aggressive drivers, advocates say that many accidents are caused
>> by people making right turns at stop signs or at stop lights. The drivers
>> often look to the left for traffic but neglect to check if anyone is
>> crossing from the right.
>> The popularity of hybrid cars may be good for the environment, but because
>> the cars are quiet, many blind people can't hear them and if drivers
>> aren't looking, accidents happen.
>> Some advocates like Evans, who serves as the president of the Palm Beach
>> Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind, are pushing Congress to
>> force manufacturers to make quiet cars beep when they are backing up. In
>> the meantime, they say their safety is in the hands of drivers.
>> "We have to rely on drivers following the rules of the road," he said.
>>
>> Creator/Executive Producer
>> "Cooking Without Looking"
>> The First TV Show Created Especially for Blind/ Visually Impaired People
>> Promoting Eye Care Awareness for Everyone!
>>
>> Founder/President
>> Vision World Foundation
>>
>> Creator/Executive Producer
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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